A garage sale plan from first box to last sale
A good garage sale is mostly preparation: pricing, signs, timing and getting the word out. Send your todo.is agent photos of what you're selling and your date. You get a two-week checklist, suggested prices based on what similar items sell for, printable signs and tags, and an ad ready to post.
The prompt
- Make a garage sale plan for [SALE DATE AND HOURS] at [MY ADDRESS OR AREA]. I'm selling [WHAT I'M SELLING] (photos attached). Give me a day-by-day checklist for the 2 weeks before, the morning-of setup, and what to do with leftovers. Suggest a price for each item or group, based on what similar used items sell for locally online, and flag anything that's worth more if I list it separately online. Check whether my town needs a permit or has sign rules, with a link. Then create: printable PDF signs (large, readable from a car, with date, time, arrow and address), printable price-tag sheets for [PRICE TAG STYLE], and a short ad I can post on local listing sites and neighborhood groups. Remind me on WhatsApp [REMINDER TIMING].
What to change
- [SALE DATE AND HOURS]: E.g. "Saturday May 16, 8:00–14:00".
- [MY ADDRESS OR AREA]: Your street or neighborhood and town. Your agent uses it for signs and local rules.
- [WHAT I'M SELLING]: E.g. "kids' clothes and toys, a bike, kitchen stuff, a desk, books". Attach photos of the bigger items.
- [PRICE TAG STYLE]: E.g. "colored dots: red $1, blue $5, green $10" or "individual prices".
- [REMINDER TIMING]: E.g. "each step on the checklist the day it's due" or "3 days before and the night before".
Example result
- Garage sale plan: Saturday May 16, 8:00–14:00
- Maple Grove neighborhood · prices are suggestions based on similar local listings
- 2 weeks before
- • Check the town rules: your town requires a free permit for yard sales and limits signs to private property with the owner's OK (link in the PDF)
- • Sort into keep, sell, donate. If you haven't used it in a year, sell it.
- • Wash, test and group items: test anything electric and have an outlet or extension cord ready
- 1 week before
- • Post the ad on local listing sites and neighborhood groups, with 3–4 photos of the best items
- • Get change: about $100 in $1s and $5s plus coins, and a cash box or apron
- • Ask a neighbor if they'd like to join: multi-family sales draw more people
- Suggested prices
- • Kids' clothes: $1 each or a bag for $5
- • Toys and games: $1–5, complete board games $3–5
- • Kids' bike (20"): $35–45
- • Desk, solid wood: $40–60
- • Books: paperbacks $0.50, hardcovers $1
- • Kitchen items: $1–5, sets bundled
- • Stand mixer: similar ones sell for much more online than at a yard sale, so list it separately
- Morning of
- • Signs up at 7:00 at the two nearest intersections
- • Big, eye-catching items at the curb; clothes on a rack, not in boxes
- • Expect early birds; decide if you'll sell before 8:00
- Last 2 hours
- • Half price from 12:00, "fill a bag for $5" from 13:00
- Leftovers
- • Donation pick-up booked for Monday, or post a "free on the curb" note for 24 hours
- • Take signs down the same day
- Ad
- Multi-family garage sale, Sat May 16, 8–2, Maple Grove. Kids' bike, solid wood desk, toys, kids' clothes 2T–8, kitchen and books. Cash and mobile payment. No early sales please.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and add your date, area and what you're selling.
- Paste it into todo.is and attach photos of your bigger or more valuable items.
- Your agent prices the items, checks local rules and makes the signs, tags and ad as PDFs.
- Print the kit, post the ad yourself, and follow the reminders as the day gets closer.
Tips for a better result
- Price to sell. Yard sale buyers expect about 10–30% of the retail price for things in good shape.
- Start early on a Saturday morning. Most serious buyers come in the first two hours.
- Put brand names, nicer items and furniture where they can be seen from the street.
- Accept mobile payments as well as cash, and keep the cash on you, not in an unattended box.
- Anything with collector or resale value: ask your agent to write a separate online listing instead.
garage sale plan: FAQ
- How should I price items for a garage sale? Usually 10–30% of what it cost new, depending on condition. Round prices make change easy, and bundle small items so they move faster.
- Do I need a permit for a garage sale? Some towns require a permit or limit how many sales you can hold and where signs go. Your agent checks your town's website and links the rule.
- Can todo.is post the ad for me? No. It writes the ad and makes the signs, and you post them yourself on the sites and groups you use.
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